For the Love of Keanu

From stoic to stoner, the many shades of this iconic actor.

By Jacob T. Swinney | September 2, 2018

In 1988, it would have been hard to imagine that Keanu Reeves, playing a dimwitted guitar player in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, would eventually be one of the biggest action stars in the world. All these years later, his résumé certainly reads like that of an action star: Point Break, Speed, The Matrix, and John Wick, the list goes on. But Reeves doesn’t feel like the standard action lead because he has spent such a large portion of his career typecast as surfer dudes and brainless bros. But Point Break was a major turning point for Reeves. The film allowed him to stick to his pre-established easy-going persona, while also engaging in some adrenaline pumping, high-stakes action. Despite nearly constant critical bashing, Reeves has stuck to his guns while never being afraid to try something new (the seedy motel manager in The Neon Demon is certainly a far cry from Johnny Utah). And we love him for it.